Device for forming ornamental structures.



Patented .Ian. 2|, I902.

No. 69l,598.

DEVICE FOR FORM 8 E On u c .U Du T S OLA, SAM nnTm E H PM OAm s m lom Mi 0mm m m (No Model.)

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Wow/9. y? w UNITED STATES PATENT CF icE.

LOUIS B. CI-IRISTOPHERSON, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO M. M. GILLESPIE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR FORMING ORNAMENTAL STRUCTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,598, dated January 21, 1902.

Application filed May 6,1901. Serial No. 58,869. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

at Stockton, county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Devices for Forming Ornamental Structures;

and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a novel formation of grills, portieres, table or piano scarfs, or similar ornamental structures.

It consists of a flexible material having slits or interspaces made lengthwise of the strips, said strips being opened out, so that the length is essentially transverse to the previous direction'and the folding of the edges and connecting them with intermediate unions, so that any desired ornamental forms may be built up from these units.

My invention also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View of a strip of material having the slits made in it. Fig. 2 shows the same strip extending laterally. Fig. 3 shows the manner of attaching the strips to the unions. Fig. at is a portion of a grill with different forms of unions.

I have here illustrated my invention by the use of strips A of leather, felt, or other suitable flexible material, which are first formed with slits 2, made in the direction of the greatest length as the strips are originally.

out. These slits may be formed by suitable cutting-dies, and the short strips are then expanded transversely, as shown in Fig. 2, the slits allowing the strips to be thus opened out, so that they are shortened in the direction of their original greatestlength and correspondingly lengthened transversely to be of as great or greater length in that direction than in the other. The edges of each of the strips are then folded, as shown at 3, and these folded edges are inserted into or fixed to a union device 4:, as shown in Fig. 3. This device may be in the form of a ball, a rectangular, oval, or polygonal block, or a ring or other form, to which these folded edges can be united, as illustrated in Fig. 4. These folded edges are inserted into openings in slots in the unions and may be secured in any suitable manner by gluing or by wedgingor otherwise affixing them, so that the union is made, as shown, for example, at 5 in Fig. 4. Strips thus formed and united maybe put together in many forms for grills, portieres, or other festoons to be used in connection with such, or they may form the ornamental ends of table or piano scarfs, and generally any ornamental structure for which they are susceptible of use.

The feature of the construction is the opening out transversely of the flexible slotted or separated material, which is retained in its open or separated form by reason of the peculiar manner of connecting the sides transversely to the length of the slits or openings. This enables me to make such structures without the use ofglue or anystiffeningmaterial,as the construction itself acts to automatically retain the desired ornamental form of the parts. Such structures may be made of any similarlyformed flexible material having the closed or connected portions of each line of slits or openings opposite to the middle of the slots or openings of the lines adjacent on each side, so that the open spaces of one line are opposite the closed parts or connections of the next. By then folding the edges, as shown at 3, and inserting the folds into the adjoin- 'of each link is regulated by the position of the fold. If the folds are near the ends of the strips, the links will be narrow. If nearer to the center, the links will be correspondingl wider.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Adevice for the formation ofornamental structures comprising a strip of flexible material slit longitudinally and having the sides stretched transversely of the strip,and means independentof said strip for uniting the transverse sides formed by the slits.

2. A device for the manufacture of ornamental structures including a flexible strip having parallel lines of cuts and with the cuts in each line opposite the spaces between thesides stretched transversely to the line of cuts, and unions independent of the strip and uniting the transverse sides thereof.

3. Adevice for the formation ofornamental structures including a series of flexible strips having longitudinal slits, said strips having their sides stretched transversely, and unions or connections to which the sides of the strips are secured to insure a permanent form of the completed structure.

4. Adevice for the formation of ornamental structures consisting of a series of flexible strips with longitudinal openings or spaces, the spaces in each line being opposite the connected portions of the next adjacent lines and the side portions of the strips being stretched or opened transversely of the lines, and means connecting the sides of said strips in series and multiple.

5. A device consisting of parallel strips having longitudinal lines of separation, the sides of the strips being transversely stretched to form open spaces each standing opposite the connections between the next adjacent lines, and the sides folded, and connections having openings or slots into which the folded sides of the strips are inserted and secured.

(3. A device for the formation of ornamental structures consisting of strips with parallel longitudinal slits the central portion of each slit standing opposite the closed portion or connection of the adjacent lines of slits, said strips having the sides stretched transversely to form open spaces and the sides of the strips folded upon themselves, uniting devices having holes or slots into which said folded portions are inserted, and means for securing the folds therein.

7. Flexible strips having lines of slits, said strips having their sides expanded transversely, and unions or connections by which the sides of said strips are connected, and the forms or ornamentation shaped and determined.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LOUIS B. OIIRISTOPI'IERSON. Witnesses:

Mrs. L. B. CHRIsToPHERsoN, L. M. CUTTING. 

